Automatic trap-door for railroad-coaches.



.No. 845,306. PATENTED FEB. 26, 1907.

. J. MARIGK. v 'AUTOMATIG TRAP DOOR FOR RAILROAD COACHES.

' APPLICATION FILED FEB. 17, 1905.

4-H: NaRR ls PETERS co., wasmmzrolv, v. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

JOHN MARICK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 26, 1907.

Application filed February 17, 1905. Serial No. 246,174.

To all whom it uty concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN MARIGK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Automatic Trap- Door for Railroad-Coaches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to trap-doors which automatically lift upon releasing a catch; and the objects of my improvements are, first, to provide a spring which constantly tends to lift the door; second, to make the tension of said spring adjustable; third, to construct the hinges so they will sustain great weight; fourth; to provide a spring-catch for retaining the door closed; fifth, to make a cheap, durable, and simple construction, and other objects to become apparent from the description to follow.

It is important that trap-doors of the class to which this invention pertains should sustain the weight of several persons upon releasing a catch and should be made cheap, simple, and durable. These features are all embodied in the device forming the subjectmatter of this application.

The door is substantially square and about one inch in thickness and forms a portion of the car-platform when closed down. One edge of the door is hinged to the body of the car by two hinges provided with long straps extending under the door to which they are secured to support and strengthen the same. A strong leaf-spring is also secured to the under side of the door, and the free end of this leaf-spring so engages with the frame of the car as to always tend to hold the door open. A spring-catch is secured to the frame of the car, which retains the door in a closed position until it is withdrawn from same by manual power.

To describe my invention more in detail, I have illustrated the same on the accompanying sheet of drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view showing the door in i a closed position. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on 3 3 of Fig. 1, with the door in an open position; and Fig. 4 is a section on Fig. 4 4 of Fig. 3.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The door 5 is pivotally secured to the carbody 6 by the hinges 7. The short strap 8 of each hinge is secured by screws or otherwise to the body 6, and

the long strap 9 of each hinge is secured by screws or otherwise to preferably the lower side of the door 5, so that all the weight which may be put upon the door will be sustained by the hinges 7 and the beam 10, which is provided with a rabbet 11, in which the one edge of the door 5 rests. The door 5 when closed is in a hori- Zontal position and when open is in a vertical position.

A heavy leaf-spring 12 is secured to the under side of the door 5, with one of its ends extending a short distance beyond the hinged edge of the door, so that when the door 5 is moved from the vertical position into or toward the horizontal position the spring 12 will be put under tension by its end coming in contact with the frame of the car. The tension of the spring 12 is of such degree as to normally hold the door in the vertical position. To protect the parts from excessive wear from use, a metal plate or shoe 13 is secured to the body 6, and a roller 14 is preferably pivoted to the end of the spring 12 to contact with said plate. To strengthen the supporting capacity of the edge of the door 5 between the hinges 7, a metal strip 15 is secured to said door by having the integral lips 16 secured to the under side of the door and the integral lip 17 secured to the top side of the door. The spring 12 is secured to the door 5 by securing a metal cleat 18 over the spring and against the door 5, clamping the spring tightly in place. To prevent the spring 12 from shifting out of place, it is provided on its two longitudinal edges with notches 19, into which a screw or extensions 20 on the cleat 18 extend. A series of the notches 19 are provided, so that the cleat 18 may be placed at different points over the spring 12, and thereby adjust the tension of the spring.

To hold the door 5 in a horizontal position with its free edge resting in the rabbet 11, a spring-catch 21 is provided on the body 6, which engages above a plate 22, secured to the under side of the door 5. The plate 22 is preferably extended along the entire edge of the door, thus affording ample room each side of the point engaged by the catch 21 for securing it to the door 5. The catch 21 is secured to a vertical rod 23, extending through the beam 10, and is countersunk into the beam 10 the proper distance. To prevent the catch 21 and its connections from being lifted up by the action of the door 5, a metal plate 24. is securely fastened by screws or self to the exact construction shown and dethe floor when closed, a spring-pressed means,

horizontal axis, a spring-pressed means comprising a pivoted roller secured to said door extending at right angles across and beyond the hinged edge of the door, a cam-plate secured beneath the floor to be engaged by said roller and means comprising a detachable plate for varying the tension of the spring pressure exerted on said springpressed means.

I 3. In a device of the class described, a the art, as it 1 floor, a door forming a portion of said floor changes can be made i when closed hinged to said floor, to swing from the spirit of the in- I about a horizontal axis, a flat spring adjustvention. J ably secured. to said door extending substan- Having thus fully described my invention, tially at right angles to the hinge-axis and a What I claim as new, and desire to secure by roller secured to the free end of said spring to Letters Patent of the United States, is engage a ca1nplate secured to the under side 1. In a device of the class described, a cari of said floor, the parts being so arranged with floor, a door hinged to said car-floor to swing i relation to one another that said door will be about a horizontal axis formin a portion of I yieldingly held in an open position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 30th day of January, 1905, at Chicago, Illinois.

JOHN MARICK.

side of the plate 24 is secured a spring 25 to normally turn the rod 23 so as to hold the catch 21 in the path of the plate 22 on the door 5. The ends of the rod 23 above and below the beam 10 are provided with suitable handles to turn the rod with.

I desire to be understood not to limit myotherwise to the beam 10, and to the under scribed by the appended claims except as is necessary by the prior state of is evident numerous Without departing comprising a pivoted roller, secured to said door extending at right angles across and be yond the hinged edge of the door and a cam- 1 plate secured beneath the floor to be engaged y said roller.

2. In a device of the class described, a floor, a door forming a portion of said floor when closed hinged to said floor to swing about a Witnesses:

R. J. JAcKER, FRED SCHAD, Jr. 

